Machine for packaging articles



l. LZAGA 1 MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES l Filed oct. 29. 1921 14 sheets-sheet 1 Feb.v l 1927. I

- l. LZAG A MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OC'C. 29. 1921 mGNx Feb. 1 1927.l

. l. LZAGA MACHINE FOR PACKAGING vARTICLES 14 Sheets-Shet I5 Filed oct. 29, 192i ||l Il 1,616,379 l. LZAGA MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed oct, 29,1921 14 sheets-sheet 4 l, I AzAGA )ACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed Oct'. 29. 1921 14 SheetS-Shet 5 Feb. v1, 1927.

|. LAzAGA MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed Oct. 29, 1921 14 Sheets-Sheet 6 Feb. 41, 1927. Y

l. LAZAGA MACHINE FORPACKAGING ARTICLES Filled '001. 29, 1921 14 sheets-shea v Feb. 1 1927.

l. LAZAGA MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed'oot. V29, 1921 14 sheetssheet a WIT/V555,

Feb. 1,1927. 1,616,379

- I. LZAGA 4 MACHINE `FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES- Filed Oct. 29. 1921 C 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 Feb. 1,1921. A

l. LZAGA MACHINE VFOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed oct; '29. 1921 'l 14 sneetsfsheet 1o l. LAZAGA I MACHINE FR -PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed oct, 29, 1921 V14 sheets-shet 11 l. LZAGA MACI'QNB FOR PACKP'n/GNG ARTICLES Feb. 1, 1927 Filed oct. 29,1921 14 sheets-sheet 12 c e I Feb l 7 1. LAZAGA MACHINE BOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed oct. 29, 1921 14 sneetspsn'eetrls QNHV..

Feb. 1, 1927. 1,616,379

, l. LAZAGA MACHINE`FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed oct. 29, 1921l 14 sheets-sunt y14 i I v L1: Y-H-AlA- 1 1.; I I A i 119 Patented Feb. i, 1927.

IGNACIO LZAGA, or SALEM, VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES.

Application filed October 29, 1921. Serial No. 511,348.`

This invention relates to a machine for packaging articles, such, for instance, as cigarettes.

The object of the invention is to provide single machine which will rapidly and efiiciently count olf the articles to be pack aged, compress them compactly. feed them into the path of the wrapper which has been printed, and wrap and fold the printed wrapper around the articles, and finally pastethe wrapper preparatory to the delivery of the package from the machine.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the entire l5 machine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view;

4 is an end view looking in the opposite direction to that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a skeleton perspective view of the transfer-wheel and itsassociated plungers and mechanism for operating the same;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the wrapper feeder mechanism; :4:5 Fig. 7 is a detail view of the feed-roller and associated parts;

Fig. 8 is a front view of the wrapper feeding mechanism; l

Fig. 9 is a side elevation taken in the m opposite direction from Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a detail view of the paste-applying mechanism Fig. 11 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 12 is a side view looking in the opposite direction from Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the endless delivery mechanism;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 15 is a transverse section on line fre iis-i5 of Fig ia;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the relative position of the wrapper and the plunger which is adapted to force the charge into the wrapper;

Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 16, showinga different step in the operation.;

Fig. 18 is a similar view showing still another step in the operation;

Fig. 19 is a view showing il 'in the folding operation; i

Fig. 2O is a similar perspective view showing the method and time at which the paste is applied;

'eW showing the second foldthe first step Fig. 2l .is avi ing operation.

Yhopper 13, the base 14 of which is mounted Fig. 22 is a vertical sectional view Y through the transfer Wheel;

Fig. 23 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through one of the pockets of they transfer wheel; y

Fig. 24 is a detailed plan View of the discharge plunger;

Fig. 25 is a. side elevation thereof;

Fig. 26 is an end view of the plunger;

Fig. 27 is an enlargedtransverse section l through the pastehox;

Fig. 28is a plan View thereof;

Fig. 29 is a transverse section through the pastebox;

Fig. 30 is a horizontal section through one end of the mechanism for moving the cigarettes against the wrapper.

The numeral 1 indicates the main' frame of the machine,comprising a table 2 and an inten mediate structure 3 arranged below the table.

Arranged beneath the talole is' a `main drive-shaft 4 having secured to the outer end thereof a drive-pulley 5 and loose pulley 6. The main drive-shaft 4, through gears 7 and 8, drives a transverse counter-shaft 9, and through the gears (11 and 11') a longiy tudinal counter-shaft 12 is driven as shown in Fig. 5. p

Arranged above the table is a cigarette upon an L-sha-ped bracket 15 pivoted as at 16 upon the intermediate structure, the laterally-extending arm 17 of the loracketv adapted to he actuated by Vthe cam 18 secured to the longitudinal counter-shaft' 12, 99l

the arrangement serving'to agitate the hop per. The hase portion 14 of the hopper is preferably provided with a plurality of vertically arranged partitions 19 forming co-m- Y partments Whereh the cigarettes are stacked 9.5 in vertical rows. Y Y

The numeral 2O indicates a rotary transfer wheel arranged to turn in a direction transversely of the machine, loeing` mounted upon lthe longitudinally-arranged shaft 2l 190 journaled in suitable bearings 22l uponvthe table of the machine. This vtransfer wheel 20 is given a step by step rotation hy means of the well-known Geneva. gear construction, consisting of the gear 23 keyed to shaft 105 25 and gear 23 keyed to the shaft 28. The shaft 25 is connected with the shaft 21 by means of the sprocket-wheel 24 keyed to shaft 21 and gear 25 keyed to shaft 25 and v sprocket-chain 26, the gear 28 deriving its 110.

Vtransfer wheel 20 is placeddirectly in the rear and in alignment with the base 14. of the hopper 13, said wheel preferably being provided with a plura-lity'of radially-ar! ranged rectangular pockets 32 of such dimensions as to receive each a predetermined number of cigarettes from the hopper.

Als a means for transferring the cigarettes from the hopper to the pockets of the wheel, I preferably provide a horizontally reciproeatng plunger 33, the forwardv end of which is slottedto form a plurality of projections of such dimensions as to pass throughthe vertically-arranged channels in the base of the hopper. Y

This plunger is adapted lto force a predetermined number of cigarettes from the hopper-"to a pocket of the wheel. This plungerisv pivotally secured to a reciprocati-ngY carriage 34, which isradapted to travel upon horizontal ways 35, the care riage beingactuated by a rock-arm 36 pivoted at its lower end to the machine, the upper end thereof being pivotally connected as at 36 to the carriage 34. The rockerarm 36 is preferably actuated by crank 37 keyedk to the jack-shaft 9, the crank being Y provided with pin 38 adapted to be received inl aslot 39 in the rocker-arm 36 as shown inFig. 5. This arrangement imparts a reciprocating movement to the plunger 33.

As stated, the transfer-wheel is rotated, step by step, to passthe face of the hopper to receive inits respective pockets the charge of cigarettes, they being` transferred in turn to the opposite side of the machine, where they are to be suitably wrapped.

It is desirable, however, to compress the charge more I con'ipactly v befoi'e being Wrapped, and for this purpose (as best shown in` Figs. 22 and 23) I preferably provide the'several pockets 32 with iadi ally-arranged plungers 40, the inner end of each being adaptedto bridge the hub 41 of the wheel 2O being provided with a set of rollers 42, which are received in annular kgrooves 43, 43, arranged eccentrically of the transfer-wheel in such a manner as to iinpart a radial'inoveineiit to the' plunger as the wheel is' rotated, thereby compressing the contents of theV pockets as they reach the Vopposite side of the machine.

The cigarettes having been placed in the Vfront of the opening `for the folding device,

the mechanism for feeding, the wrapper into position to be applied will now be described.

, gear Directly above the folding device, there is placed a wrapper-container and feeder 44.

The pileof wrappers is indicated by thev The numeral 45, as Vbestshownl in Fig. 6.r

mounted a bevel-gear 57 meshing with aV suitable bevel gear 58 driven by a substantially vertwally-arranged auxiliary driveshaft 59, deriving its power from the coun-.

tershaft 9 by means of the bevel-gears 60 and 61.

From this construction, it follows that Y while gear 51 constantly rotates, it rotates the gear 49 and its feed-roller 46 for a half revolution, and then'said roller is at rest until the gear 51 rotates during the other half of the revolution. Therefore, the feedroller feeds a wrapper during one period, and then rests for a like period, before feeding the nextwrapper. ln'order to insure a proper fecdof vthe wrappers, a rotatable jcgger 62 is arranged so that vas it rotates it passes upward against the bottom of the lowest wrapper and jogs it until its front end projects between the feed-roller 46 and the gravity stop 47, so that the feed of the wrapper will be insured.

The jogger 62 is driven by sprocket-chain 63, Ypassing over sprocket wheel 63 keyed to keyed. The sprocket-chain 63 derivesl its power from the shaft 49vto which is keyed the sprocket wheel 50 over which the sprocket chain passes as shown in Fig. 9. The wrapper after it is fed by the roller 46 is projecting between the two rolls 64 and 65, the rst of which is affixed to and driven by a'shaft 66 to which is secured a spurgear 67 adapted to mesh with the spur 52. From said feed-roll, the wrapper falls K chute 68 until it rests upon the fixed stub or support 69, in such a position as to receive the charge about to be ejected from the pocket of the transfer-wheel, which is now aligned with the opening of the folding device.

YWith the wrapper in this position, it is ready to have the :l'iargc of cigarettes shoved forward against the wrapper to be wrapped therein. This action is accomplished by means of longitudinal movableA rocker-arm is pivotally suj'iportedl as at 7 5 .l

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llO

downwardly by graif'ity through a' (see Fig. 5). This rocker-arm 71 is given a movement by means of a crank-arm 76 oarried by the crank-shaft 9 before described, said crank-arm having its wrist-pin movable in a slot 77 in said rock-arm 7 3.

lt follows from this construction that during one part of the operation, the rockarm 7 3 with its cross-head 71 and the plates are moved longitudinally forward to move said plates and the charge of cigarettes against the wrapper, as will be shortly described. l have referred to the plates 70 between which the charge o-f cigarettes is located. The object of these plates is to take all of the strain off the cigarettes, and hence avoid the possible buckling of the latter when together with the wrapper they are pushed forward into folding mechanism.

The construction by which the plates are operated will now be described. As shown in F igs. 24 and 25, there are two fixed parts 80 and 81 of the frame, each having rubber cushions 82. The aforesaid cross-head 71 slides with respect to the two frame members 80 and 81, and has connected to it (so as to travel with it) two blocks 83, each of which has a pin 8st extending toward each other, as illustrated in Fig. 211. Said crosshead 71 also has connected to, and movable with it two longitudinal bars 85, the outer ends of which are connected to a cross-head 86. Straddling the ends of the bars 8.3 are theplates 70 before-mentioned, which are movable with respect thereto, said plates being secured to a block 87, and the latter being connected to one end of an extension-bar 88, the other end of which is rigidly con# nected to a friction-bar 89 arrangedV above the bar 88 and extends inwardly above the block 71.

Each end of the friction-bar 89 has a bumper 90 in line with one of the cushions 82, and the inner end of the friction bar 89 slidesy frictionally between two longitudinally grooved channel-bars 91-91 which are lined with leather strips 91 91. Said channel-bars 91-91 are slotted, Vas shown at 93, to receive the inner ends of the pins 811. As shown in Figs. 2&1 and 8 0, the channel bars 91-91 are held frictionally against the friction bar 89 by means of a yolre 92, one end of which is provided with a pin 811 which registers with an opening 92 in one of the bars 91. The opposite end of the member 92 is provided with a plate 93 which carries a screw-threaded stud 911', the inner end of which registers with an opening 96 in the other channel bar 91, the pins 8a and 941 serving to hold the yoke 92 in place. Carried by the stud 94 is a spiral spring 97', one end of which bears against one of the channel bars 91, the opposite end of which bears against a shoulder of the screw-threaded stud 94 serving to main tain apressure between the channel bars 91-91` and the frictional sliding bar 89. The plates 70 project forward and are placed a prop-er distance to permit a charge 0f cigarettes to be received therebetween.

The cross-head 71 and its blocks 83 Vand the i horizontal rods 8.5 carried by the cross-headall move forward in the same relative posi-v tion as shown in Fig. 16.

It will be understood that the transfer wheel is at rest with a pocket containing a charge of cigarettes directly in line with the cross-head 86 and the plates 70.

' The initial movement of the cross-head V71 moves the blocks 83 and their pins 84 to the limit of the slots 93, which slots are substantially the same length as the space between the cross-head 86 andthe cigarettes, and during this movement the friction-bar 89 is frictionally held from movement while the longitudinal rods move with respect thereto. This causes the cross-head 86 toV move away from the block 87, and by the time th-e pins 84 reach the ends of the slots 93 the cross-head :86 is moved against the chargeV of cigarettes, and further movement' 16, the charge of cigarettes and the plates 70 are about to enter the Vthroat of the folding device provided with side rollers 96 and 97 This movement simultaneously folds theV wrapper over the I cigarettes vinto a .n U-shaped form as shown in F ifr 17. As ther4 wrapper assumes the U-shapedipostion, the

portion 95` thereof is tucked in by the rollers i 96 and 97. As the wrapper passes into the folding magazine, the flap 125 is moved to ay horizontal postion by contacting with the bottom of Vthe magazine, and thev longitudinal opening left by the walls 98 and 99,

the upper iapsof the wrapper enter 'downn wardly. inclined slots 99, thus turning the upper flap 100, as shown 'in Fig. 19,'and confining it within the walls 98 and 99. The

lower iiap 101 still projects horizontally through the lower opening formed by the i walls 98 and 99, and it is at this point thatv thepaste is preferably applied tothe lower flap in the following manner r-Arranged4 above the folding mechanism, as best shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 is a paste spool con-` sisting of shaft 102 having adjustably secured thereto a pairof paste-disks 103 and 1011, of such a' diameter as to rub upon the upper surface of tlie'lower flaps 101, 101.

Shaft 102 is driven by means of a spiocletchain 105 and sprockets 106 and 107, the

l. tter being secured to a shaft 108, which in turn is geared to shaft 109 carrying on the outer end thereof the sprocket 109 which is connected by sprocket-chain 110 to a Y sprocket 111- carriedl by the shaft 54 'of` thelll wrapper feed drive as shownf in Fig. 1.

As disclosed in Fig. 12, directly above the paste-disks 103-104 is a paste-pot consisting of a .pair of rollers 112 and 113, the

former mounted uponv the shaft 108, and

the latter upon the shaft 109 which drives The roller 113 is adapted to' shafts 108. contact with the disks 103 and 104 to lapply the paste thereto, the paste being received from above these rollers,VY and an idler roller 114 is suspended by suitable .hangers 115 removably secured to the side walls of the paste-pot to contact with rollers 112 and 113'.

As thev wrapper and its contents move along, the lower-flap 101 engages an upwardly-inclined slot 116, by which the lower flap is folded upwardly against the nowfolded upper flap 100, and the two are pasted i together as described the paste being applied to the flaps 101 by the disks 103 and 104. Y

As previously stated, the plates 70 and the cross-head 86 of the plunger are movingk as one upto this point.

tothel vertical shaft 122, which in turn isV geared to the countersliaft 12 by means of the gear meshing witli a' bevel gear on said shaft. rl`his pasting-box 117 receives the i, package with all but the end flap 125 pasted,

and ,in order to apply paste to the upper part of the wrapper, the top and bottom of Vthe pasting-box 117 is provided with an open slot 126, and the means for applying the paste preferably consists of an arm 127 mounted upon the rock-shaft 128 and carrying at its` outer end a paste-roll 129. which by means of the spring 130, Vis held in contact with the paste-roll 112. This roll' 129 is intermittently moved from the roll 112 toa position directly above the inner end ofthe package now held in the box 117/,this movement ijireferably being accoinipilished by means of an'V arm 131 keyed to the outer end of the shaft 128.

' Connected to thisV arm 131 is a. verticallyl arranged plunger 132 held in a vertical position by means of a suitable guide 133 pivoted as at 134 to the side of the frame ofthe past-ing device. The upper end of Athe plunger is provided with an abutment 135y carrying a roller 136 adapted to be engaged by a cam 137 carried by the shaft 108, whereby the paste-roller 129 is actuated.

Each time the said boX 117 receives a Wrapper and its contents, itl makes a half turn, and in this movement the forwardlyeXtending flap 125 will bev given a quarter turn by its contact with the bottom of the receptacle in which the box turns'. At the end of the half turn ofthe box 117 another mounted upon the vertically-arranged shafts 140 at the inner end of the conveyor. These shafts are connected together at their lower ends by spur-gears 141 and 142, the latter in turn meshing` with a train of gears 143- 144-1-45, the gear 145 being mounted upon the vertical shaft 132 from which the conveyor derives its power. A roller 146 arranged transversely of the conveyorvat its inner end is Aadapted' to press against the package and complete the pasting of the ends of the flaps 125 to the package. As a means for further pasting and ypreventing the packagevfrom moving upwardly While passing along the conveyor, I preferably provide a longitudinal strip 147 along the upper side thereofg'at the inner end, and a similar longitudinal strip 148 at the outer end thereof, the packages being taken from the machine asthey pass from the conveyor.

Briefly to recapitulate the operation of the machine, the charge of cigarettes between the partitions 19 are transferred to one of the pockets 32 in the rotary transfer wheel 20 by means of the reciprocating plunger 33, the wheel 20 being intermittently rotated while at the same' time compressing' the charge of cigarettes by a plunger 40. When the trans,- fer wheel 20 has rota-ted sufficiently tobring the charge of cigarettes into alignment with the cross-head 86 and plates 70, said parts are actuated to pass through the pocket 32 and push the cigarettes against the Wrapper 101, which has been feddownward fromy theV feeder 44, and as the cigarettes are pushed further they pass through the folding device which folds the Wrapper around said cigarettes, glue beingL applied to the side iiaps 101 bythe disks 103 and 104. The chaige as thus wrapped is then transferred into the rotary pasting boX'117 where the end flap 125 is folded over and glued to the package by the rotation of the box, the glue .lll

described, and upon the new package being pushed into the pasting-box 117, the former one is forced out and into the discharge conveyor which transfers the package from the machine.

From the foregoing, and the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided an organized machine which will automatically count olf the articles to be packaged, press them compactly, feed them into the path of a wrapper which is printed, and wrap and fold the printed wrapper around the articles, and finally paste the wrapper preparatory to being delivered fromthe machine.

i It will be obvious that various changes and modificationsV may be made in the machine Without departure from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which may bc determined from the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a packaging machine, the combination with means for holding articles, of transferring means for moving the articles from said holding means including a reciprocating cross-head, longitudinal bars connected therewith, a plunger connected lwith the outer ends of said bars, a friction bar inovably connected therewith, plates secured to the outer end of'said friction bar, and means for limiting the movement of the friction bar relative to the longitudinal bars.

2. In a packaging machine, the combination with means for holding articles, of

transferring means for moving the articles from said holding means including a reciprocating cross-head, longitudinal bars connected therewith, a plunger connected with the outer ends of said bars, a friction bar movably connected with said bars, plates secured to the outer end of said friction bar, means for limiting the movement of the friction bar relative to the longitudinal'bar, and frictional means bearing against the sides of the friction bar for creating a pressure thereon and controlling the movement of said bar.

3. In a packaging machine, the combination with means for holding articles, of transferring means for moving articles from said holding means including a reciprocat ing cross-head, longitudinal bars connected therewith, a plunger' connected with the outer ends of said bars, a friction bar mounted between the longitudinal barsy and movably `connected therewith, plates secured to the outer end of the friction bar for receiving the articles, a bumper secured adjacent each end of the friction bar, fixed cushions in the path of the bumpers for limiting the movement of the friction bar, channel bars having frictioned means connected therewith `for receiving the friction bar, and a yoke for lholding said channel bars and frictional means against the friction bar for creatinga pressure thereon and controlling the movement of said bar. l

4L. In a packaging machine, the combination of means for applying glue to a wrapped package including an oscillatory paste roll,

a rock shaft for imparting oscillatory motion to said paste roll, a. plunger flexibly connected to said rock shaft, an abutment secured to the outer end of said plunger, and

extending laterally therefrom, means connected with said abutment and engaging said plunger for adjustablyv securing `the abutment thereon, a roller carried by said abutment, and a cam in position to engage said roller for moving the plunger.

5. In a packaging machine, the combination of means for applying glue to a wrapped package including an oscillatory paste roll, a rock shaft for imparting oscil- IGNACIO L'ZAGA.

lili? 

